Door-latch mechanism



'May 25 1926.

G. H. PIGGOT DOOR LATCH MECHANISM Filed Jan. so. 1925 .Illllll-lullllllll llllll Patented May 25 1926 Uhlllfhllh STATES DOOR-LATCH Application filed January 30, 1825.

This invention relates to lockers, and more particularly to steel lockers, such as those employed in banks and oiiice buildings, gymnasiums, and other places for the storing, either temporarily or permanently, of clothing and other things.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved con struction and arrangement whereby the lock mechanism and the latching mechanism are more satisfactorily constructed and arranged than heretofore, by placing the movable parts of the latching mechanism on the body frame of the locker, and by providing a controller on the door for raising said movable latching means on the body frame, as well as by providing a lock mechanism on the door for locking said controller, whereby said controller may be a handle for opening the door, and for operating and controlling the latching mechanism on the body frame as well.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general eliiciency and desirability of a latching mechanism of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of an ordinary locker provided with a latching mechanism involving the principles of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing the latching mechanism and the lock mechanism of the locker.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation'of the upper portion of one of the catches which are fixed 011 the door.

As thus illustrated, the locker body 1 may be of any suitable known or approved character, and the door 2 is preferably hinged on said body at 3, in any suitable manner, so that the door may be opened and closed in a manner that will be readily understood. The door is provided with a handle f that is so attached that it is slidable up and down thereon in a manner that will hereinafter more fully appear.

The body frame 1 is provided inside thereof, at the right of the door, with a vertically disposed locking bar 5 that is slidable up and down in the guide 6 rigidly secured to the body frame. Said locking bar can be of any suitable height and is preferably MECHANISM.

Serial No. 5,635.

provided with a plurality of laterally extendlng latch engaging portions 7 as shown. The upper portion of the locking bar or latch bar 5 1s also provided with a laterally exending portion 8 for engagement with the portion 9 which is rigid with the inside portion 10, to which said handle 4 is rigidly secured, preferably by means of rivets or bolts 11, and the door is provided with slots 12 in which these rivets or bolts are free to slide up and down. The lower portion of the part is provided with an outturned ledge 13, and the door is provided with a lock mecha nism 1 1 having a locking bolt 15 disposed in position to extend over the ledge 13, thereby to lock the handle against upward movement when it is desired to lock the door. It will be seen that the door is re-inforced on the inside by means of a triangular hollow portion 16 which is provided with slots 17 and 18 for the said portion .9, which is rigid with the handle. It will also be seen that the hollow portion 16 is provided with rigid catches 19 having notches 20 in their upper ends to receive the portions 7, previously mentioned, whereby the latch mechanism comprises the vertically reciprocating bar and its latch engaging portions 7 on the body, frame, and the stationary latch engaging or co-operating portions 1.9 on the door.

l/Vith this arrangement, therefore, the door is lock-ed when the portions 7 are in engagement with the notches 20 and when the locking bolt 15 is over the ledge 13, for in such case the handle cannot be raised and hence the latch mechanism cannot be operated to lock the door. However, the door is provided with a keyhole 21 for the insertion of a key in the lock mechanism 14. the latter being of any suitable character, so that the locking bolt 15 can be withdrawn from above the ledge 13, thereby permitting upward movement of the handle. Such upward movement of the handle, when the out-er portion thereof is grasped in the hand, will cause the portion 9 to engage the portion 8 and to thereby raise the latch bar 5, causing the portions 7 to be lifted out of the notches 20, thus disengaging the movable latching elements on the body frame from the stationary latch engaging elements on the door, and permitting the door to then be open outwardly.

Therefore, with the arrangement shown and described, which is illustrative of the invention, the locker is provided with a body frame having a movable latch mechanism thereon, involving movable latch engaging portions, and is provided with a door having only stationary or fixed latch engaging portions thereon. The handle l and the portion 9 are not a part of the actual latch mechanism by which the door is held in closed position, but said handle and he portion 9 constitute a latch mechanism controller, inasmuch as by upward movement of this handle, the latch mechanism itself can be controlled to unlatch the door and per mit opening thereof. Again, the lock mechanism l i is on the door, and operates through the medium of the controller element 9 to govern the latch mechanism, and to prevent operation thereof, in the manner described, when the loci: mechanism is operative to interpose the locking bolt thereof in the upward path of the ledge 13, thus preventing upward movement of the handle, and precluding opening 01 the door until after the lock mechanism is operated by a key to Withdraw the locking bolt thereof.

It will be seen that the portion 8 and the portion 9 form a separable connection between the movable latch bar 5 on the body frame or structure and the movable handle l on the door. In other words, the connection between the controller and the latch mechanism must be separable in order to permit opening of the door, inasmuch as the controller for the latch mechanism is on the movable door and not on the body frame or body structure of the locker.

While the invention is shown as being applied to an ordinary steel locker, it is obvious that it can be employed on any structure comprising a frame or body structure having a door. The invention is not limited to the use of the invention for locker purposes, but may be employed on any structure for any desired purpose, although the invention comprising the latch mechanism has a peculiar advantage in connection with lockers, inasmuch as by this arrangement of the latch mechanism the door is made lighter, as the heavy latch bar 5 is on the body frame, and there are less movable parts on the door to rattle and make a noise when the door is opened and closed.

It will also be seen that the rigid catches 19 each has a bevel 22 at the upper end thereoi, and these bevels strike the lower edges of the latch pieces 7 previously described, when the door is closed, thus raising the bar 5 and allowing the latch pieces 7 to then drop into the notch 20 previously described. Also, the portion 9 has its end bent and provided with a bevel 23 which will strike the lower edge of the portion 8 of the latch bar, it the handle t happens to be in raised position, as might be the case if the mounting of the handle is tight and ha enough friction to hold it in raised position; but, when the person closing the door grasps the handle, it will be somewhatnatural to raise it at the same time, and thus the handle can be in raised position in this way when the door is closed. But it the handle is not in raised position, the bevel 23 will not strike the port-ion 8, and in such case it will be the bevels .22 on the elomens 19 which will strike the lower edges or' the portions 7, and thereby raise the latch bar 5 so that these portions 7 can then drop into the notches 20 as described.

li ithout disclaiming anything, and without prejudice to any novelty shown and described, what I claim as my invention is:

l. The combination oi means forming a body structure, a door mounted to open and close on said structure, movable latch mechanism on the body structure, means iixcd on the door for engagement with the movable latch mechanism on the body structure, and means comprising a controller on the door to cause the operational said latch mechanism to open the door, said movable latch mechanism comprising a vertically disposed latch bar provided with one or more lateral projections for engaging said fixed means on the door, and said controller comprising a handle movable mounted on the door and having connection to said latch bar, whereby upward movement oi said handle will cause upward movement of said latch bar, and thereby disengagement of said lateral projection or projections of the bar trom said lined means on the door.

2. The combination of means forming a body structure, a door mounted to open and close on said structure, movable latch mechanism on the body structure, means fixed on the door for engagement with the movable latch mechanism on the body structure, and means comprising a controller on the door to cause the operation of said latch mechanism to open the door, said controller conu n'ising a handle mounted on the door in position for pulling the door open, said handle'being mounted for vertical reciprocation on the door.

3. The combination of means forming a body structure, a door mounted to 0 ion and close on said structure, movable latc mechanism on the body structure, means fixed on the door for engagement with the movable latch mechanism on the body structure, and means comprising a controller on the door to cause the operation oi said latch mechanism to open the door, said controller comprising a handle which is mounted to reciprocate up and down on the door, having a portion rigid therewith inside the door, in combination with lock mechanism provided with a locking bolt disposed in position to project over said rigid portion, thereby to prevent upward movement of the handle when it is desired to lock the door.

4. The combination of means forming a body structure, a door mounted to open and close on said structure, movable latch mechanism on the body structure, means fixed on the door for engagement with the movable latch mechanism on the body structure, and

means comprising a controller on the door lo cause the operation of said latch mechanism to open the door, said latch mechanism comprising a vertically movable latch bar provided with means for engaging said fixed means on the door, and said fixed means being beveled to engage the means on the latch bar, when the door is closed, thereby to raise said latch bar, and said fixed means being adapted to permit said latch bar to then gravitate into locking position when the door is fully closed.

5. The combination of means forming a body structure, a door mounted to open and close on said structure, movable latch mechanism on the body structure, means fixed on the door for engagement with the movable latch mechanism on the body structure, and means comprising a controller on the door to rause the operation of said latch mechanisn'i to open the door, said controller comprising a. vertically movable handle provided with means for raising said latch mechanism, should the door he closed with said handle in raised position, forming a separable connection between the handle and said latch mechanism.

Specification signed this 24th day of January, 1925. GRAHAM H. PIGGOT. 

